IPL 2020: ‘There are a number of players who are in the same boat as Suresh Raina,’ says Paddy Upton
Former Rajasthan Royals head coach Paddy Upton has backed Suresh Raina’s decision to head back home from the UAE due to personal reasons. He also hopes that other IPL franchises are aware that many players are feeling vulnerable because of the present situation, adding that they need to be prepared for similar incidents with other players.
Upton, who was the mental conditioning coach of the Indian team during the 2011 World Cup, said that it is natural for some players to not be in great shape owing to the fact that they have been cooped in their homes for close to five months.
In an interview with ESPNcricinfo, Paddy Upton said:
“There are a number of other players who are very much in the same boat as Suresh Raina…We need to be predicting these strange things and not have a knee-jerk reaction. When all of a sudden Suresh Raina goes home, we have this knee-jerk reaction and strange comments in the media. Funny things are gonna happen.”
Suresh Raina's decision to leave for India came after 13 members in the CSK camp tested positive for COVID-19. A family tragedy back home is also believed to be one of the main reasons for his departure.
IPL teams need to be ‘smart’ and ready for these situations: Paddy Upton
Paddy Upton also stated that the IPL teams should be prepared for incidents similar to that of Suresh Raina, adding that they should offer a support system to players who are struggling with the current situation.
He said:
“Smart teams will predict them, put things in place and have that cushion of support system to be able to support players. The teams that do that best are gonna go so far ahead of the other teams that really don’t do well and they are just gonna fall over, unfortunately.”
The IPL 2020 season will begin from September 19th and will be played across three venues in the UAE - Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah.